


Google has reportedly made its data operations more energy-efficient than most other digital companies. It includes running the servers, as well as cooling the building to keep everything running smoothly. In fact, one study estimates that these data centers make up between 80 and 90 percent of Google's total energy usage. Most of the energy consumed by the global giant goes to its data centers. And as it turns out, that makes sense once you break down the actual process behind Google searches. It's the sheer volume that makes its energy uses so significant. The energy cost of Google does not vary wildly based on a single search. That's the equivalent of running a ceiling fan continuously for one month. If 40,000 searches occur in a single second, that second alone uses 12 kWh in energy. Of course, this expands drastically considering the amount of daily searches. The Guardian has another comparison that puts this number into perspective: Searching the web 100 times is equivalent to drinking 1.5 tablespoons of orange juice." Another way of looking at it: one Google search consumes the same amount of energy as turning on a 60W light bulb for about 17 seconds. Considering the fact that our body needs about 8,000 in daily KJ from food, that means Google uses about as much energy for your search as your body burns in 10 seconds. The company itself estimates that entering a phrase into its search engine and waiting for the results will cost about 0.0003 kWh, or 1 KJ. How much energy powers a Google search, both from a user's perspective and when considering the search engine's massive data operations? What steps are Google (and other data-based digital giants) taking to reduce that energy? The Energy Needed to Power a Google SearchĪs you might imagine, the energy cost of a single Google search is negligible. At the same time, the physical power required to get to that point is not nearly as well known. We know quite a bit about the way Google can scan the web and find the information you need within a fraction of a second. Of course, by the time the year is over, that number will have grown again as Google continues its rise as the world's preeminent information source.

That's 1.2 billion searches per day, and 1.2 trillion searches every year. Today, Google alone processes more than 40,000 searches from around the world every second.
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From business processes to software tutorials and personal questions, we rely on the most powerful search engine in the world to answer our questions in a moment's notice. When we don't have an answer, we turn to Google. We do it so often, it's become second nature. Powering a Google Search: The Facts and Figures
